Vesuvius
Buy Now
By using these links, you support READO. We receive an affiliate commission without any additional costs to you.
Description
This limited First Edition hardcover includes metallic foil on the jacket and a hidden illustrated case!
An exploration of ambition and class, autonomy and religion, survival and love, Vesuvius combines the romantic angst of They Both Die at the End and the blended magic and history of The Song of Achilles to show readers that it is never too late to change your fate—or change the world.
Clever thief Felix slips from city to city to survive the present and escape a past he can’t remember. When Felix steals a divine artifact—Mercury's helmet—from a temple in Pompeii, pieces of his forgotten past begin to surface.
Loren, an ambitious temple attendant, has seen Felix in his apocalyptic nightmares for years. The last thing Loren expects is for his dream to stumble headfirst through his temple doors, moments after an earthquake rocks the city.
When Felix shows Loren the helmet, Loren sees the world coming to an end. He knows they have mere days to uncover Felix’s ties to the relic and to Loren’s visions if they have any hope of saving the city. But Ancient Rome is ruled by bloody politics and unstoppable destinies, and now that Loren and Felix are intertwined, their lives aren’t all they risk losing. When all has turned to ash and rubble, the boys will have to piece together their fates to make it out of a burning city alive.
One of Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best Books
Book Information
Posts
I'M SO GRATEFUL I GOT TO READ THIS HALF A YEAR EARLY!!! Thanks PeachTree! Loren loved this city the way Icarus loved the sun. Bold. Bright. Willing to burn for it. Cass Biehn's Vesuvius is a young adult historical fiction that combines Roman history with themes of love, trauma and mythological elements. Set in the days leading up to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the story follows two protagonists, Felix and Loren, as they navigate personal secrets, political intrigue, and a looming disaster. The novel's strength lies in its vivid portrayal of Pompeii, transporting readers to locations such as temples, vineyards, brothels and Roman villas. The relationship between Felix and Loren is central, marked by moments of vulnerability and conflict as the grapple with their emotional scars and aspirations. Social expectations, power dynamics, resilience, romance and faith are the themes the author is exploring. You make your touch a question. And if my answer was no, I trust you would hear me. I honestly really liked the book, it's a great debut novel, although some aspects of the story felt a little undeveloped. I would have loved to read about what exactly happened to Loren's friends and the remaining people of Pompeii at the end and I didn't really understand the goal of the visions and Felix's power. Even their relationship felt flat at times, I often couldn't relate much to why they behaved the way they did and what changed their motives and feelings. The dreadful atmosphere throughout gave me real anxiety but I still couldn't put the story down once I started reading. The numerous typos and formatting errors were a little bothersome, but that will hopefully be fixed once the book is officially released. It would be fun to get some kind of sequel that answers all the questions still left open. Overall, it's a compelling read with great characters and a fresh take on queer narratives within a historical setting.
Description
This limited First Edition hardcover includes metallic foil on the jacket and a hidden illustrated case!
An exploration of ambition and class, autonomy and religion, survival and love, Vesuvius combines the romantic angst of They Both Die at the End and the blended magic and history of The Song of Achilles to show readers that it is never too late to change your fate—or change the world.
Clever thief Felix slips from city to city to survive the present and escape a past he can’t remember. When Felix steals a divine artifact—Mercury's helmet—from a temple in Pompeii, pieces of his forgotten past begin to surface.
Loren, an ambitious temple attendant, has seen Felix in his apocalyptic nightmares for years. The last thing Loren expects is for his dream to stumble headfirst through his temple doors, moments after an earthquake rocks the city.
When Felix shows Loren the helmet, Loren sees the world coming to an end. He knows they have mere days to uncover Felix’s ties to the relic and to Loren’s visions if they have any hope of saving the city. But Ancient Rome is ruled by bloody politics and unstoppable destinies, and now that Loren and Felix are intertwined, their lives aren’t all they risk losing. When all has turned to ash and rubble, the boys will have to piece together their fates to make it out of a burning city alive.
One of Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best Books
Book Information
Posts
I'M SO GRATEFUL I GOT TO READ THIS HALF A YEAR EARLY!!! Thanks PeachTree! Loren loved this city the way Icarus loved the sun. Bold. Bright. Willing to burn for it. Cass Biehn's Vesuvius is a young adult historical fiction that combines Roman history with themes of love, trauma and mythological elements. Set in the days leading up to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the story follows two protagonists, Felix and Loren, as they navigate personal secrets, political intrigue, and a looming disaster. The novel's strength lies in its vivid portrayal of Pompeii, transporting readers to locations such as temples, vineyards, brothels and Roman villas. The relationship between Felix and Loren is central, marked by moments of vulnerability and conflict as the grapple with their emotional scars and aspirations. Social expectations, power dynamics, resilience, romance and faith are the themes the author is exploring. You make your touch a question. And if my answer was no, I trust you would hear me. I honestly really liked the book, it's a great debut novel, although some aspects of the story felt a little undeveloped. I would have loved to read about what exactly happened to Loren's friends and the remaining people of Pompeii at the end and I didn't really understand the goal of the visions and Felix's power. Even their relationship felt flat at times, I often couldn't relate much to why they behaved the way they did and what changed their motives and feelings. The dreadful atmosphere throughout gave me real anxiety but I still couldn't put the story down once I started reading. The numerous typos and formatting errors were a little bothersome, but that will hopefully be fixed once the book is officially released. It would be fun to get some kind of sequel that answers all the questions still left open. Overall, it's a compelling read with great characters and a fresh take on queer narratives within a historical setting.